Q&A
Discussion on the appropriateness of commercial use for the rezoning site
0:47:46
·
130 sec
Council Member Kevin C. Riley questions why the site is more appropriate for commercial use rather than maritime industrial use, given its location adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Raymond Levin, Special Counsel, provides a detailed response explaining the rationale behind the decision to pursue commercial development.
- Levin cites the availability of industrial space in the Navy Yard and its competitive rental rates as reasons for not pursuing industrial use on this site.
- He explains that maritime uses would likely prohibit the creation of a waterfront walkway connecting residential areas to the Navy Yard.
- Levin also mentions that the Army Corps of Engineers found that accommodating maritime uses would require dredging, making the project unfinanceable.
Kevin C. Riley
0:47:46
Why do you believe this site is more appropriate for commercial use?
Raymond Levin
0:47:52
Well, we've you looked at the market, and we came up with this the notion that the commercial commercial office use would be would be better.
0:48:02
Some of the reasons for that is in fact because we're located next to the Navy Yard.
0:48:07
The Navy Yard has significant industrial space available.
0:48:11
And it's a mission driven organization, not for profit, on city land, and can offer rates for rental that are more competitive in the private sector.
0:48:21
So those are a couple of the reasons.
0:48:24
Another reason is that to to use the property of for maritime related uses would probably prohibit the fact of having that waterfront walkway connect from the residential area to the north to the Navy on the south.
0:48:40
Now the Navy on immediately south of us, their master plan shows a public walkway and also no no maritime use at that location.
0:48:50
Obviously, the Navy Yard itself, which was used to build aircraft carriers, It has the infrastructure for water related uses, and that's another reason why in this general area, that's the better place for them.
0:49:08
And I guess the last thing is is that the Army Corps of Engineers and looking at at World About Channel found that the in order to accommodate the kinds of of maritime uses that that were that the Navy Yard looked at would need dredging, and that would just make it unfinancable.
0:49:31
So those are a few of the reasons why we ended up with commercial.
0:49:35
We also think that commercial is creates the the context between the residential to the north and the Navy Yard to the south and the Parker Cross Street provides the linkage and and uses that are compatible both with the manufacturing uses to the south and the residential uses to the north.